In 1772 Alexander Hamilton, in his first hand account of a hurricane, vividly recalled experiencing "the roaring of the sea and wind, fiery meteors flying about in the air, the prodigious glare of almost perpetual lightning, the crash of falling houses,...the ear-piercing shrieks of the distressed were sufficient to strike astonishment into Angels".
In 1779 in assessing the devastation of the recent hurricane, the Governor reported: "There are but few houses the have not been destroyed, and there are so many wrecked to pieces: the fields have been leveled; the houses of the near villages, which are the only ones from which I have heard at this time, are all on the ground, crops, stock, provisions, are all lost".
In 1780 a storm of such intensity hit the New Orleans area, it destroyed many buildings and reportedly sank every vessel afloat on the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain.
In 1831 the "Great Barbados Hurricane" kills 1,500 people and wreaks devastation all along its path from Barbados to New Orleans.
In 1837 "Racer's Storm" moves from west to east across the entire coast of Louisiana, causing widespread flooding and considerable damage to agriculture and shipping.
In 1856 a hurricane strikes Isle Derniere, a vacation resort on the Louisiana coast southwest of New Orleans. Storm waters washed over the entire island, destroying the hotel even as gentlemen danced with their be-jeweled ladies. More than 200 lives were lost and the denuded island was split in half.
In 1893 an October hurricane destroyed settlements at Grand Terre, Grand Isle and Cheniere Caminada, Killing an estimated 2,000 people and stripping islands of vegetation and buildings.
In 1909 a hurricane passing through Baton Rouge and New Orleans killed 350 people and the storm surge inundated much of South Louisiana.
In 1915 passing Grand Isle and New Orleans with winds of 140 miles per-hour, a hurricane killed 275 people and leveled numerous communities in its path up the Mississippi River. In Leeville, only 1 building out of 100 survived the storm.
In 1918 With winds of 100 miles per-hour, a hurricane passed across South West Louisiana, killing 34 people.
In 1926 as a hurricane followed a diagonal track across Louisiana from Houma to Shreveport, it took 25 lives and caused approximately $4 million in building damages.
In 1947 a hurricane packing over 100 mph winds passed directly over New Orleans claiming 34 victims, flooding main parts of the city and causing an estimated $100 million in damages.
In 1956 the storm surge of Hurricane Flossy completely submerged Grand Isle and caused extensive coastal erosion and flooding.
In 1957 the 15 foot storm surge created by Hurricane Audrey on its path from Calcasieu Pass to New Orleans was responsible for the deaths of 390 people. Damage estimates exceeded $150 million.
In 1961 Hurricane Carla killed 46 people and caused an estimated $410 million in damages.
In 1964 besides causing severe coastal erosion and local flooding, Hurricane Hilda claimed 39 victims.
In 1965 Hurricane Betsy came ashore at Grand Isle as a category 3 storm. packing winds in excess of 100 mph with gusts up 160 mph. The accompanying 19 foot storm surge caused New Orleans to suffer its worst flooding in decades. Damage throughout Southeast Louisiana totaled $1.4 billion and 81 lives were lost.
In 1969 with sustained winds exceeding 200 mph and a 15 to 25 foot storm surge, Hurricane Camille left a trail of devastation and death across Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Damages amounted to $1.4 billion, with 262 deaths reported. One survivor recalled, "...Before the water came over the river, I saw three house trailers blown away and my big garage blown away. The wind blew tin off the roof of the store. broke rafters in the store and warehouse. I was holding on to save my life...Tin, roof tops of my neighbor's buildings, and everything blowing away. About 7:30 the water came over the Mississippi River levee and eventually reached 16 feet."
In 1971 Hurricane Edith hit the Caribbean Islands as a category 5 and by the time it reached the Louisiana coast its force had been reduced to that of a Tropical Storm with sustained winds of 40 mph.
In 1974 Hurricane Carmen affected Southern Louisiana causing one fatality.
In 1985 Hurricanes Danny, Elena and Juan battered South Louisiana in quick succession. Aggregate damages exceeded $2.5 billion with 19 dead.
In 1988 the storm surge and surf generated by Hurricane Gilbert caused extensive coastal erosion and local flooding throughout South Louisiana.
In 1992 Hurricane Andrew passed through South Louisiana after devastating South Florida. Andrew killed 40 people and became the most destructive hurricane in American history. The storm left 250,000 people homeless and caused an estimated $30 billion in total damages. LaPlace was struck by a deadly tornado killing 2 people and injuring 32 others.
In 1997 Hurricane Danny, the first hurricane of the 1997 season, affected Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia. Primary damages in Louisiana affected the commercial fishing industry. Estimated damages in Louisiana were $3 million. The category one storm lasted 10 days.
Go back to Home Page.